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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Variations in Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Terminalia catappa Nuts
Horticulturae, Vol.11(5), pp.1-12
2025
Abstract
Indigenous forest foods have great potential to diversify cropping systems and increase food security and the resilience of food systems to climate change. Underutilised indigenous tree nuts in particular can provide health benefits to local communities and improve livelihoods when commercialised. However, for many tree nut species, there is little knowledge of important kernel characteristics. Kernel size and oil composition are important factors for commercialisation and health benefits, respectively. We assessed kernel attributes of Terminalia catappa L. (Combretaceae), a traditional forest food in the Pacific, in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji. We assessed kernel mass and kernel-to-fruit mass ratio, explored the fatty acid profile of oil, and oil stability against oxidation using accelerated ageing at 45 degrees C for 21 days. The largest kernels were found in the Solomon Islands with an average mass of 1.66 g. Similarly, kernel-to-fruit mass ratios were higher in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu than in Fiji. Terminalia catappa contained higher concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids than saturated fatty acids. Among the unsaturated fatty acids, oleic acid and linoleic acid were the two most abundant. Kernels incubated at 45 degrees C exhibited significantly higher hexanal concentrations on day 7 compared to those on day 0 of incubation. This rapid oil oxidation may be associated with high unsaturated fatty acid concentrations in kernels. These findings may have implications for oil shelf life. Our study suggests T. catappa trees from the Solomon Islands exhibit desirable kernel characteristics that make them suitable for selection and commercialization. The commercialization of an underutilised forest food tree like T. catappa will enhance food and nutrition security for local communities.
Details
- Title
- Variations in Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Terminalia catappa Nuts
- Authors
- Shahla Hosseini Bai (Corresponding Author) - Griffith UniversityBruce Randall (Author) - Griffith UniversityRepson Gama - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringBasil Gua - Society for Organizational LearningDoni Keli - Solfarm Fresh, Honiara, Solomon IslandsKim Jones - Cropwatch Independent LaboratoriesBrittany Elliott - Queensland University of TechnologyHelen M. Wallace - Queensland University of Technology
- Publication details
- Horticulturae, Vol.11(5), pp.1-12
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.3390/horticulturae11050540
- ISSN
- 2311-7524
- Copyright note
- © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article/Supplementary Materials. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author(s).
- Grant note
- This research was funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, project numbers: FST-2014-067, FST-2017-038 and FST-2022-124.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; School of Health - Paramedicine
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991136605402621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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